"I shed grown man tears today": Lonzo Ball's return to court has NBA fans offering rousing support

Bleacher Report recently posted a picture on Instagram of Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball practicing on the hardwood again. Fans rejoiced after seeing the picture and expressed genuine happiness and excitement for Ball.

Ball has been out of action since the 2021-22 NBA season due to a knee injury. In early 2022, he underwent surgery to repair a torn left meniscus. Despite a successful operation, the recovery process was quite troublesome. While he was expected to return in the same season, his discomfort while playing led to the team ruling him out entirely.

Since then, Ball has been unable to make a comeback for the Bulls. However, things have taken a turn for the better and he seems to be making progress.

Here's what some fans had to say in the comments section of the Bleacher post:

"I shed grown man tears today."

"Finally a true PG back on the court other than his brother....playmaking by them is beautiful"

"Great news everyone wants to see bro succeed🙏🏽 "

"THIS BROUGHT ME TEARS OF JOY!"

"We are all rooting for you lonzo 🙏 "

"Dude was going off before the injury"

"Love to see this"

"Always good to see someone recover from potential career ending injury💪🏾 "

Looking at the timeline of Lonzo Ball's injury

Lonzo Ball seems to be making progress toward returning to the court. According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, he has been given clearance to resume running after being relieved of pain.

It has been a challenging couple of years for the 6-foot-6 guard. Initially, Ball underwent surgery to repair a torn left meniscus sometime between late January and early February 2022, a result of an injury suffered on Jan. 14 against the Warriors, which was his last game.

Although his initial recovery timeline was set at six to eight weeks, Ball experienced discomfort as he attempted to prepare for a return, leading to his shutdown for the remainder of the season after just 35 games.

He underwent a second surgery in September 2022, this time an arthroscopic debridement on the same knee, with a re-evaluation timeline of four to six weeks. However, similar to his previous experience, he continued to encounter discomfort during basketball-related activities, resulting in his exclusion from the remainder of the season by February 2023.

Several weeks later, Ball underwent a third surgery on his knee in March, receiving a cartilage transplant and being sidelined indefinitely following the procedure. Then in July, the NBA granted the Bulls a disabled player exception for Ball, amounting to $10.2 million, after news surfaced that he would miss the entire 2023-24 season.

While this turn of events looks depressing, seeing Lonzo Ball practicing on the hardwood again is a heartwarming sight for fans. Many Chicago Bulls and NBA fans alike have missed watching Ball play and facilitate the offense for his team. With "Zo" back on the court again, there could be a chance of him coming back next season. However, considering the history, fans should likely take this with a grain of salt.